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WORK 

—¥OK  THE— 

COLORED  WOMEN 

—  OF  THE— 

sou  T  H, 

Br  Mrs,  B,  T.  Washington. 


NORMAL  SCHOOL  FREES, 
TUSKEGEE,  ALA- 
1894. 


.  WORK 

—FOR  THE— 

COLORED  WOMEN 

—OF  THE— 

— SOUTH  E^S— 
BY  MRS.  B.T.WASHINGTON. 


Preface.  D^. 

For  the  past  two  months,  with  the  assistance  of  Dr. 
Hallie  T.  Johnson  and  Mrs.  Estelle  Penney,  I  have  been 
gathering  in  the  country  women  of  this  vicinity  and  to- 
gether we  have  given  and  received  practical  suggestions 
as  to  the  ways  in  which  the  homes  of  the  country  women 
may  be  improved  and  made  happier,  and  out  of  these 
meeting  has  grown  the  desire  with  some  of  us  to  have 
these  talks  or  hints  put  into  printed  form.  This  little 
pamphlet  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  those  who  will  not 
object  to  hearing  something  of  these  meetings. 

The  country  women  around  this  vicinity  are  similar 
to  others  of  the  same  class ;  they  get  tired  of  the  scenery 
of  the  country ;  they  want  to  see  new  faces  and  new 
things,  they  do  and  should  come  to  town 
often  enough  to  vary  their  monotonous  life.  Since  it  is  a 
fact  that  the  country  women  come  into  the  towns  and 
villages,  we  felt  that  they  couM  spend  at  least  a  part  of 
the  day  with  us  in  getting  hints  for  their  home-life.  We 
take  Saturday  for  these  meetings  because  the  great  major- 
ity of  country  women  take  Saturday  for  their  sight-seeing 
and  shopping  so  they  accomplish  two  things  in  one  visit. 

Our  meetings  are  held  in  the  upper  story  of  a  store, 
on  the  main  street,  thus  making  it  possible  for  every 
woman  who  comes  into  town  to  come  and  spend  an  hour 
in  listening  to  practical  talks  and  reach  her  wagon  before 
her  husband  has  time  to  leave  town. 

We  talk  in  the  plainest  and  freest  way  possible, 
about  anything,  no  matter  how  small  it  may  seem,  that  in 
anyway  pertains  to  the  average  colored  woman  and  we  feel 
that  we  are  on  the  right  track  to  help  these  our  country 
sisters  and  because  of  this  fact  we  put  into  print  some  ot 
our  suggestions,  so  that  the  lady  teachers  all  over  the 
South  may  realize  that  they  have  a  work  to  do  lor  the 
women  whose  children  they  teach. 


WORK 


_FOR  THE— 

COLORED  WOMEN 

—OF  THE— 

SOUTH  5^5?— 
BY  MRS-B.  T.WASHINGTON. 


Preface.^. 

For  the  past  two  months,  with  the  assistance  of  Dr. 
HaUie  T.  Johnson  and  Mrs.  EsteJle  Penney,  I  have  been 
gathering  in  the  country  women  of  this  vicinity  and  to- 
gether we  have  given  and  received  practical  suggestions 
as  to  the  ways  in  which  the  homes  of  the  country  women 
may  be  improved  and  made  happier,  and  out  of  these 
meeting  has  grown  the  desire  with  some  of  us  to  have 
these  talks  or  hints  put  into  printed  form.  This  little 
pamphlet  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  those  who  will  not 
object  to  hearing  something  of  these  meetings. 

The  country  women  around  this  vicinity  are  similar 
to  others  of  the  same  class:  they  get  tired  of  the  scenery 
of  the  country :  they  want  to  see  new  faces,  and  new 
things,  they  do  "and  should  come  to  town 
often  enough  to  vary  their  monotonous  life.  Since  it  is  a 
fact  that  the  country  women  come  into  the  towns  and 
villages,  we  felt  that  they  couM  spend  at  least  a  part  of 
the  day  with  us  in  getting  hints  for  their  home-life.  We 
take  Saturday  for  these  meetings  because  the  great  major- 
ity of  country  women  take  Saturday  for  their  sight-seeing 
and  shopping  so  they  accomplish  two  things  in  one  visit. 

Our  meetings  are  held  in  the  upper  story  of  a  store, 
on  the  main  street,  thus  making  it  possible  for  every 
woman  who  comes  into  town  to  come  and  spend  an  hour 
in  listening  to  practical  talks  and  reach  her  wagon  before 
her  husband  has  time  to  leave  town. 

We  talk  in  the  plainest  and  freest  way  possible, 
about  anything,  no  matter  how  small  it  may  seem,  that  in 
anyway  pertains  to  the  average  colored  woman  and  we  feel 
that  we  are  on  the  right  track  to  help  these  our  country 
sisters  and  because  of  this  fact  we  put  into  print  some  of 
our  suggestions,  so  that  the  lady  teachers  all  over  the 
South  may  realize  that  they  have  a  work  to  do  for  the 
women  whose  children  they  teach. 


Tte  Mome-How  to  Kare  for  It. 

 BY  

Mrs.   Nathan  B.  Young, 

TUSKEGEE,  ALABAMA. 


^hree  of  the  sweetest  vvords  in  our  language  are  ;  Moth- 
^  er,  home,  and  heaven.  It  is  m)  plan  to  offer  a  few 
words  of  advice  to  Mothers,  rc:gardingthe  home,  how  to 
keep  it  tidy  and  pleasant. 

Some  may  say,  ''My  home  can-not  be  made  tidy  and 
pleasant,  because  I  have  only  one  or  two  rooms,  and  have 
nothingwith  which  to  make  them  comfortable  and  inviting'' 
Dear  sisters,  you  can  make  even  a  one-room  cabin  clean 
and  neat.  It  is  a  hard  task  I  grant,  but  it  can  be  done. 
A  single  log  cabin  can  be  made  cheery  and  bright.  Pray 
how^  can  this  be  done?  You  are  ready  to  ask,  I  will  tell 
you.  Plan  for  your  home;  arrange  such  furniture  as  you 
have  more  tastefully  and  more  conveniently.  Have  regu- 
lar days  for  certain  work,  and  a  place  for  everything. 
Then  keep  everything  in  its  place.  You  may  say  that, 
you  have  not  the  time  to  put  and  to  keep  each  thing  in 
its  place.  But  do  you  not  spend  half  of  your  time  look- 
ing for  things  placed  here  and  there — everywhere? 

Let  me  give  you  a  hint  or  two.*  Do  not  hang 
your  clothes  all  around  the  house,  but  make  a  frame 
about  the  size  of  a  door,  drive  nails  in  it,  and  place  it 
in  a  part  of  the  house  that  is  not  often  used.  Hang  a 
calico  curtain  across  this  frame.  Thus  you  have  a  cheap 
wardrobe.  Put  the  shoes  at  the  bottom,  with  toes 
turned  to, yard  the  wall.  Keep  the  curtain  down  to  pro- 
tect the  clothes  and  to  give  a  better  appearance  to  the 
room. 

Do  not  put  things  under  the  bed;  I  have  seen  homes 
in  which  the  bed  served  as  a  closet,  as  a  chicken  house 


Food  aqd  Kookii^g. 


MRS-  ADELLA  HUNT  LOGAN. 

TUSKEGEE,  AL\ 


N/I any  persons  complain  of  their  food,  saying  there 
'  '  is  too  little  of  it,  there  is  lack  of  variety,  it  is  too 
rich  or  not  rich  enough,  and  others,  thougli  they  may 
not  express  the  complaint,  feel  that  their  food  is  not  fine 
enough.  Great  patience  should  be  felt  for  each  of  these 
classes  of  grumblers,  and  the  house- keeper  and  cook 
should  study  tc  remove  tiie  causes  for  such  complaints. 

Quantity. 

In  this  counlr)-  and  in  this  a^e  there  are  many  more 
people  overfed  than  underfed,  but  in  some  cases  there  is 
actual  want  and  suffering-  Where  this  istrue  the  short- 
age often  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  aged  and  the  children 
Nothing  can  be  saddo<-  than  that  state  of  a  family  which 
does  not  feed  the  old  folks  and  the  children  well.  The 
aged  need  the  stimulating  effects  of  nutritious  food  to 
sustain  their  failing  powers.  Children  eat  a  great  deal 
because  of  their  constant  exercise  in  open  air.  Work- 
ing men  need  strong  food  but  not  jusc  the  kind  nor  such 
large  amounts  as  some  take 

Nursing  mothers  need  abundant  food,  br.t  their  diet 
should  be  light  and  nourishing  for  the  sake  of  their  ov\n 
health  and  more  particularly  for  the  best  development  of 
their  babies.  If  the  supply  of  food  is  actually  too  small 
then  by  some  honest  ineans,  no  matter  hov/  hard,  more 
should  be  provided.    In  hiany  instances  people  complain 


Tt]e  H01D6-H0W  to  fere  for  It. 


 BY  — 

Mrs.   Nathan  B.  Young, 

TUSKEGEE,  ALABAMA. 


j^hree  of  the  sweetest  words  in  our  Un^uage  are  ;  Moth- 
^  er,  home,  and  heaven.  It  is  m)  plan  to  offer  a  few 
words  of  advice  to  Mothers,  regarding  the  home,  how  to 
l<eep  it  tidy  and  pleasant. 

Some  may  say,  '-My  home  can-not  be  made  tidy  and 
pleasant,  because  I  have  only  one  or  two  rooms,  and  have 
nothingwith  which  to  make  them  comfortable  and  inviting'' 

Dear  sisters,  you  can  make  even  a  one-room  cabin  clean 
and  neat.  It  is  a  hard  task  I  grant,  but  it  can  be  done. 
A  single  log  cabin  can  be  made  cheery  and  bright.  Pray 
how  can  this  be  done?  You  are  ready  to  ask.  I  will  tell 
you.  Plan  for  your  home;  arrange  such  furniture  as  you 
have  more  tastefully  and  more  conveniently.  Have  regu- 
lar days  for  certain  work,  and  a  place  for  everything". 
Then  keep  everything  in  its  place.  You  may  say  that, 
you  have  not  the  time  to  put  and  to  keep  each  thing  in 
its  place.  But  do  you  not  spend  half  of  your  time  look- 
ing for  things  placed  here  and  there — everywhere? 

Let  me  give  you  a  hint  or  two.  Do  not  hang 
your  clothes  all  around  the  house,  but  make  a  frame 
about  the  size  of  a  door,  drive  nails  in  it,  and  place  it 
in  a  part  of  the  house  that  is  not  often  used.  Hang  a 
calico  curtain  across  this  frame.  Thus  you  have  a  cheap 
wardrobe.  Put  the  shoes  at  the  bottom,  with  toes 
turned  to.vard  the  v\all.  Keep  the  curtain  down  to  pro- 
tect the  clothes  and  to  give  a  better  appearance  to  the 
room. 

Do  not  put  things  under  the  bed;  1  have  seen  homes 
in  which  the  bed  served  as  a  closet,   as  a  chicken  house 


Food  aqd  booking. 


MRS-  ADELLA  HUNT  LOGAN, 

TUSKEGEE,  AL\. 


|V]  any  persons  complain  of  their  food.,  saying  there 
'  '  is  too  little  of  it,  there  is  lack  of  variety,  it  is  too 
nch  or  not  rich  enough,  and  others,  though  they  may 
not  express  the  complaint,  feel  that  their  food  is  not  fine 
enough.  Great  patience  should  be  felt  for  each  of  these 
classes  of  grumblers,  and  the  house-keeper  and  cook 
should  study  tc  remove  the  causes  for  such  complaints. 

Quantity. 

In  this  country  and  in  this  age  there  are  many  more 
people  overfed  than  underfed,  but  in  some  cases  there  is 
actual  want  and  suffering.  Where  this  istrue  the  short- 
age often  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  aged  and  the  children 
Nothing  can  be  sadder  than  that  state  of  a  family  which 
does  not  feed  the  old  folks  and  the  children  well.  The 
aged  need  the  stimulating  effects  of  nutritious  food  to 
sustain  their  failing  powers.  Children  eat  a  great  deal 
because  of  their  constant  exercise  in  open  air.  Work- 
ing men  need  strong  food  but  not  just  the  kind  nor  such 
large  amounts  as  some. take 

Nursing  mothers  need  abundant  food,  br.t  their  diet 
should  be  light  and  nourishing  for  the  sake  of  their  own 
health  and  more  particularly  for  the  best  development  of 
their  babies.  If  the  supply  of  food  is  actually  too  small 
then  by  some  honest  means,  ho  matter  hov;  hard,  more 
should  be  provided.  In  many  instances  people  complain 
of  too  little  to  eat,  when  the  only  trouble  is  they  have 


9 


formed  the  habit  of  eating  too  much.  The  body  needs 
just  so  much  food,  any  more  is  a  burden  rather  than  a 
necessity.  It  is  a  good  rule  to  rise  from  the  table  just  a 
little  huDgrv. 

Scarcity  is  often  due  to  poor  management=  The 
woman  who  makes  the  most  of  all  that  she  has  and  can 
get  will  be  spared  the  pain  of  seeing  her  family  hungry 
and  will  not  Ije  criticised  for  lack  of 

VARIETY. 

Out  of  the  same  materials  commonly  found  in  all  house- 
holds a  great  many  different  dishes  can  be  made. 

BREAD. 

A  little  skill  and  industry  mixed  with  a  desire  to  give  pleas- 
ure to  the  family  can  place  on  the  breakfast  table,  several 
different  kinds  of  bread  in  a  single  week.  All  of  these 
may  be  made  of  the  same  flour  or  meal  and  lard  used  by 
many  cooks  to  make  but  one  kind  of  bread,  and  that  one 
is  often  a  very  mean  kind.  If  corn  meal"  must  be  used 
all  or  most  of  the  time,  it  will  be  better  for  the  one  who 
prepares  it  and  for  those  who  eat  it,  to  change  the  way  of 
preparing  it  occasionally.  Very  good  things  sometimes 
grow  tiresome  because  seen  or  had  too  often.  Eggs  are 
to  be  had  by  must  country  people;  many  have  milk  also 
with  these  two  valuable  ingredients  at  hand,  why  mix 
corn  meal  witli  salt  and  water  only  ?  There  seem  to  be 
better  reasons  for  it  than  custom,  and  that  it  is  the 
easiest  way.  Corn  bread  properly  made  is  good  for  the 
system  and  pleasant  to  the  taste,  but  dry  and  mean 
enough  when  carelessly  made  and  poorly  baked. 

Flour  is  used  by  most  women  to  make  a  bread  that  is 
hard  to  digest  and  is  also  expensive — that  is  biscuit. 

In  many  families  biscuit  appears  on  the  tabls  three 
times  a  day,  and  such  persons  think  they  are  living  well. 
Far  from  it !  Biscuits  eaten  hot  are  very  hard  to  digest : 
cold  they  are  not  good.  They  are  expensive,  first, 
because  of  the  great  amount  of  lard  needed  to  make  them 
"short"  and,  second,  because  of  the  milk  and  soda  or 
baking  power  used  to  make  them  light  and  in  the  third 
place  the  time  and  wood  comsumed  in  making  and  bak- 
ing bread  three  times  a  day  is  more  than  should  be  given 
to  it. 

Instead  of  biscuit,  light  bread  should  be  made  the 
chief  kind.  Keep  this  on  hand  all  the  time  and  you  are 
always  ready  to  give  a  lunch  of  buttered  bread  or  a 


10 


sandwich  with  a  cup  of  tea  to  your  husband,  who  may  be 
called  away  before  meal  time  or  to  the  friend  who  may 
drop  in  hungry.  JVlake  this  bread  of  only  the  best  flour ; 
it  si  always  the  cheapest.  The  yeast  will  cost  very  little 
and  a  small  piece  of  lard  is  enough  for  each  baking  of 
two  or  three  quarts  of  flour.  The  loaves  should  be  kept 
in  the  oven  with  a  good  steady  heat  for  at  least  one  hour. 
When  light  bread  is  light,  nicely  baked,  sliced  thin,  and 
served  in  a  well  lighted  room,  on  a  table  spotlessly  clean 
and  beautified  by  a  vase  of  fragrant  flowers,  the  poor 
have  at  least  one  thing  for  tea  that  is  as  fine  as  the  rich 
can  have  in  that  line.  It  is  the  best  there  is  to  be  had. 
It  is  as  much  of  a  pleasure  to  make  as  to  eat  such  bread. 

For  breakfast  it  is  well  to  have  fresh,  hot  bread,  such 
as  corn-muffins,  griddle  cakes,  waffles,  biscuit,  toast  or 
rolls.    One  kind  at  a  time  will  generally  do. 

Bread  being  the  staff  of  life,  a  great  deal  of  it  must  be 
used,  but  it  is  possible  and  wise  to  stretch  it  out  by  using 
such  vegetables  as  grits,  rice,  peas,  beans,  potatoes  and 
sweet  potatoes.  The  breakfast  table  should  be  supplied 
at  least  one  of  these  and  some  good,  sensible  housewives 
train  their  families  to  get  along  on  little  or  no  bread  for 
dinner  because  of  the  use  of  such  vegetables. 

Few  women  know  the  value  of  oat-meal,  A  good 
quality  of  this  can  be  bought  for  five  cents  per  pound. 
Boiled  gently  for  one  hour  it  forms  a  nice  paste  or  mush 
which  should  be  eaten  with  sugar  and  new  milk  or  cream. 
Oat-meal  is  so  good  for  children  although  they  may  not 
like  it  at  first  they  should  be  trained  to  eat  it.  With  a 
breakfast  of  oatmeal  and  milk,  grits  and  gravy  children 
will  need  very  little  bread  and  no 

MEAT, 

Country  people  eat  too  much  and  too  little  meat.  Too 
much  of  the  wrong  and  too  little  of  the  right  kind.  In  the 
days  of  .slavery  bacon  was  considered  as  the  only  kind  of 
meat  fit  lor  a  laborer  to  eat.  This  view  is  still  held  by 
many  men,  but  it  is  a  very  mistaken  idea.  Bacon  may  do 
to  eat  but  it  is  very  unwise,  indeed,  to  eat  very  much  of 
it.  So  much  as  the  average  farmer's  family  consumes 
is  bad  for  their  health  and  also  for  their  pockets. 

Beef  is  the  best  of  meats,  mutton  is  health-giving,  kid 
is  cheap,  and  chicken  may  be  had  by  any  industrious 
fesnily  living  in  the  country. 


II 


Eggs  contain  so  much  of  the  best  of  food  that  they 
may  soiiiitim^s  take  the  place  of  meat.  Care  must  be 
taken  in  cooking  them  or  more  harm  than  good  will  re- 
sult They  should  be  eaten  soft,  that  is  about  half  done 
and  quite  hot.  Frying  is  the  worst  way  to  cook  eggs  es- 
pecially when  lard  or  bacon  grease  is  used  for  the 
purpose.  , 

VEGETABLES. 

It  is  most  unfortunate  that  we  should  regard  the 
common  things  about  us  as  useless  or  beneath  our  notice. 
In  his  vision  St  Peter  was  warned  against  calling  any- 
thing common  or  unclean  which  God  had  made.  A  noted 
professor  of  science  has  recently  declared  that  there  is  a 
wonderful  amount  of  nutrition  in  speckled  peas,  and  yet 
many  people  consider  peas  as  good  cow  feed,  but  not 
good  for  table  use.  This  is  a  crop  easy  to  raise  and  cheap. 
These  t\vo  points  should  commend  them  to  poor  people,  but 
that  is  not  all,  peas,  of  any  kind,  are  good,  white 
ones  are  the  best. 

One  crop  or  another  of  the  several  kinds  of  greens 
should  be  k^^pt  on  hand  all  the  time. 

Spring  vegetables  should  be  prepared  and  eaten  with 
care.  They  should  be  fully  ripe,  and  eaten  by  well 
persons  only,  otherwise  they  are  apt  to  give  rise  to 
stomach  and  bowel  disorders 

These  cautions  must  not  be  taken  to  mean  "avoid 
vegetables.''  The  system  needs  vegetable  food,  and 
it  should  be  more  generally  used.  With  the  small 
cost  of  s«ed  and  the  pleasure,  combined  with  the  good 
that  comes  to  one's  health  from  that  kind  of  work,  ev- 
ery family  woman  should  have  her  garden  and  be  able 
to  get  something  out  of  it  at  all  seasons. 

FRUITS. 

Farmers  are  the  folks  of  all  others,  who  ought  to 
have  fruits  served  on  their  tables  very  often.  But  in 
most  cases  they  do  not  use  fruits  at  all  as  a  part  of 
their  meals.  Few  things  are  nicer  for  breakfast  and 
supper  than  fresh  blackberries.  These  are  to  be  had 
for  only  the  picking,  and  when  well  ripened,  it  takes 
very  little  sugar  to  make  them  delicious.  Canning  of 
fruits  require  only  a  little  work  and  skill.  After  the 
first  year's  expense  for  jars,  the  cost  is  very  small, 
and  by  this  process  you  may  have  fruits  almost  like 
lesh  the  year  round. 


12 


Drying  fruits,  which  many  country  women  do  nicely, 
is  a  very  orood  thin^.  It  is  eisy  to  dj,  and  helps  out 
mmyame  il.  Pr"eserves  and  jf^llies  at  e  luxuries ,  bu  t 
ihey  should  not  be  so  scarce  that  the  children  will  be 
tempted  to  steal  them.  Better  not  have  such  things 
at  all. 

DRINKS. 

Milk  is  the  drink  fir  children.  It  is  good  for  grown 
folks,  to  be  sure,  but  almost  indi >pensible  for  chil- 
dren. A  good  cow  is  a  great  bit  ssing  to  a  family. 
No  need  to  remark  that  the  milk  and  butter  should  be 
handled  with  great  nicety — all  kno>vthat.  Everv  one 
having  the  care  of  the  dairyshould  put  herknowledge 
of  cleanliness  into  practice. 

Coffee  works  a  great  deal  of  injury  to  the  nervous 
system,  especially  when  taken  so  strong,  and  in  such 
large  quantities  as  some  women  will  have  it  It  is  a 
great  mistake  to  let  the  cup  of  coffee  take- the  place 
of  the  breakfast ;  better  ta'<e  the  two  together.  Chil- 
dren should  not  be  allowed  to  drink  coffee  at  all.  Tea 
is  less  haimful  than  coffee,  and  should  be  used  some- 
times, particular  at  night,  instead  of  coffee.  Never 
boil  tea.  Steeping  for  a  few  minutes  is  best.  In  many 
cases  the  water  is  complained  of,  when  nature  has  not 
done  anything  against  it.  The  trouble  is  man  has  not 
done  anything  for  it.  Wells  should  be  deep,  clean 
and  covered.  Springs  should  be  'fixed  up"  and  kept 
in  a  first-class  condition. 

DtiSSERT 

When  the  house-keeping  fund  is  small,  it  is  best  not 
to  attempt  to  have  dessert  very  often.     When  they 
are  made,  it  should  be  something  so  good  and  should 
be  so  nicely  prepared  and  served,  that  it  will  be  con- 
^sidered  a  treat. 

GENKRAL  REMARKS. 

To  avoid  waste,  it  is  a  o^ood  plan  to  measure  every- 
thing used  in  cooking.  Find  just  how  much  will  do, 
cook  that  and  no  more.  Sometimes  food  will  be  left 
over.  Don't  throw  it  to  the  chicktms  or  pigs  if  it  will 
pay  better  to  use  it  on  the  table  again.  Made  over 
dishes  can  be  made  about  as  good  as  fresh  food,  if 
onlv  pains  enough  be  taken. 

Cold  mt-Ht  rnav  be  made  into  hash.  It  mny  be 
stewed  with  a  little  flour  and  butter  to  form  a  gra^'v, 
or  the  meat  may  iiavc  a  little  rice  or  chip.-  of  Irish  po- 


13 


tatoes  stewed  vvitn  it.  Sometimes  bake  the  hash, 
sometimes  serve  it  on  toast.  Al\va3'5  cut  the  meat 
very  fine,  season  well  and  serve  hot. 

Another  excellent  rule  is  to  live  at  least  one  day 
<ihea<l.  Don't  wait  until  meal  time,  and  then  begin  to 
wonder  "what  shall  I  have  and  how  shall  I  cook  it  ?" 
Settle  those  points  before  hand,  and  the  bill  of  fare 
will  be  much  better. 

Good  cooking  has  been  called  an  art.  Some  want 
to  class  it  as  one  of  the  fine  arts.  However  that  may 
be,  it  is  a  necessary  work,  and  it  is  that  branch  of 
house-work  th^t  will  bring  more  pleasure  if  it  be  well 
■done,  or  more  of  everything  the  opposi  te  of  pleasure, 
if  it  be  poorly  done,  than  all  the  other  departments 
of  ht)use-keeping  combined.  The  best  cooks  do  not 
consider  their  work  hard.  There  is  much  work  to  be 
•done  in  a  well-ordered  kitchen  and  dining-room,  but 
it  is  not  hard  work. 

Onr  cooks,  as  a  c!as>,  should  study  more  to  improve. 
This  work  is  done  too  thoughtlessly.  The  more  in 
telligence  you  put  into  your  kitchen  work,  the  better 
results  you  will  get  out  ol  it.  A  man  who  was  grow- 
ing rich  by  cultivating  some  very  poor  land,  was 
asked  what  he  mixed  with  that  poor  soil  to  have  it 
bring  such  fine  crops.  He  replied:  "1  mix  brains 
with  it."  Now,  if  you  will  mix  brains  with  your  cook- 
ing efiorts,  then  your  husband  will  be  able  to  say 
heartily,  when  he  has  fi  lished  each  of  your  delightful 
meals,  "Thank  the  Lord  and  bless  the  cjok. 


Wbat  Sbal!  We  do  witb 
Our  Kbildrsn? 


Mrs.  Eslelle  Penne^^ 

TUSKP:GEE,  ALA. 

This  question  is  one  which  is  puzzlinj>  the  rich  and' 
poor  alike,  wherever  young  blood  is  found.  I  he  rich 
man  questions  whether  or  not  he  is  loo  indulgent,  ai  d 
is  thus  weakening  the  minds  of  his  children  ;  ar^d  the 
poor  man  has  serious  moments,  when  he  wonders,  if 
after  all,  he  is  not  too  hard  on  his  young  lolks,  and  is 
robbing  them  of  a  j^reat  deal  of  ihe  sunshine  of  life. 

It  is  claimed  by  many  that  the  young  people  of  to- 
day are  hard  to  manage,  and  some  go  so  far  as  to  say,, 
that  they  are  impudent,  lazy,  and  an  unprofitable  stt, 
wholly  unlike  the  good  children  of  long  ago,  who- 
minded  at  a  word,  and  were  seen  and  not  heard,  and 
who  would  no  more  thiiik  of  being  "sassy"  to  old  folks- 
than  they  would  think  of  sticking  their  heads  in  the 
fire.  And  in  order  to  prove  without  a  doubt  that  this- 
is  a  wicked  and  godless  generation,  they  invite  us  to 
visit  the  jails  and  chain-gangs,  where  we  find  the  ma- 
jority of  the  prisoners  are  young  men  and  young  wo- 
men, and  even  children.  1  will  admit  that  this  is  rather 
a  dark  picture,  but  fortunately  for  us,  it  is  one  of  those 
shadow-pictures  w^herethe  shadow  is  seen,  but  the  real 
coloring  and  life  are  behind  the  curtain. 

If  our  young  people  are  as  bad  as  some  of 
our  old  folks  try  to  paint  them,  where  is  our  star  of 
hope,  and  what  will  the  future  be  ?  But  the  case  is  not 
so  bad  as  some  imagine  ;  for  there  is  even  now  a  silver 
lining  to  this  dark  cloud.  The  past  cannot  afford  to  be 
at  war  with  the  present,  for  the  present  has  the  advan- 
tage. Fault-finding  and  condemning  this  fast  age  is  not 
a  remedy  for  these  evi's.  Fathers  and  mothers  may 
cherish  sweet   memories  of  the  past,  they  will  find 


5 


that  they  must  live  in  the  present,  with  its  new  ideas 
and  grand  and  glorious  ad  vantages  and  privileges,  such 
as  the  world  has  never  before  knoun.  Old  things  have 
passtd  away,  and  we  must  not  sta^id  gazing  after  them 
but  tall  in  line  and  try  to  keep  up  in  the  march  of  pro- 
gress. If  we  do  not,  the  children  will  go  on  without 
our  guidanceand  protection,  and  perhaps  come  to  grief. 

Let  us  now  consider  some  of  the  ways  by  which 
the  young  can  be  helped.  If  we  could  get  the  confi- 
dence of  our  children,  so  thai  they  would  take  us  for 
their  best  iriends,  half  the  battle  would  be  won,  and 
the  devil  'would  be  cheated  out  of  some  of  his  best 
•material.  For  example,  after  the  day's  work  is  done, 
and  supper  is  over,  let  the  children,  with  father  and 
mother,  gather  around  the  fireside  and  tell  the  experi- 
ences of  the  day — iet  each  have  a  chance  to  tell  his 
story.  Another  way  to  win  the  confidence  of  young 
people  is  to  take  time  and  listen  when  they  come  with 
secrets  that  are  very  precious  to  them,  but  may  seem 
like  nonsense  to  you.  Be  true  and  never  betray  tbeir 
trust,  for  if  you  do,  you  are  not  apt  to  be  trusted  again. 
Many  a  well-meaning  mother  has  made  the  sad  mistake 
of  hushing  up  her  child  because  it  asked  some  question 
that  reached  far  out  inco  the  mysteries  of  manhood  and 
womanhood.  I  will  give  one  instance  :  The  little  in- 
quisitive mind  wants  to  know  about  baby-land  and 
where  the  babies  come  from.  Some  mothers  call  this 
^n  indecent  question,  and  give  the  child  an  idea  that 
it  has  done  something  very  wrong  to  think  ot  such  a 
thing.  Its  mouth  has  been  stopped,  but  the  thinking 
goes  on  just  the  same.  Thus  the  mother,  with  her 
false  modesty,  has  set  up  a  barrier  between  her  and 
the  child,  which  some  day  she  will  wish  she  could  break 
down,  and  again  look  into  the  heart  that  was  once  so 
tendei  and  true.  Many  a  young  man  and  woman  might 
have  been  saved  from  lives  of  shame  and  disgrace,  if 
they  had  been  on  confidential  terms  with  their  parents. 

The  matter  of  punishment  is  an  important  subject 
to  be  considered  in  our  home  rule,  for  preach,  pray  and 
exhort  as  we  may,  the  children  seem  prone  to  wander, 
and  must  bear  the  yoke  of  their  wrong-doing,  and  be 
taught  that  *'the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard." 
Some  parents  are  firm  believers  in  the  use  of  the  rod  ; 
it  is  used  with  a  free  hand  for  every  offense,  great  or 
small,  the  hickory  is  laid  on.  The  child  who  accident- 
ally breaks  a  dish,  gets  as  many  stripes  as  if  he  had 
told  the  blackest  lie.  This  kind  of  discipline  does 
more  harm  than  good.  It  ruins  the  disposition,  and 
by  and  by  we  will  have  a  hardened  wretch  to  deal  with, 
and  no  amount  of  flogging,  or  kicking,  or  cufiing,  or 
abusive  language  will  have  any  effect  upon  him.  Ly- 
ing, stealing,  disobedience  and  bad  language  are  some 


i6 


of  the  V  orst  offenses,  and  ought,  we  all  think,  to  have 
the  severest  punishment,  but  even  then  the  sin  or  crime 
does  not  always  cease.  Oftentimes  giving  extra  tasks 
of  work  to  be  performed  is  sufficient  penalty  for  many 
of  the  childish  misdemeanors.  Another  simple,  but 
(oftentimes  effective  mode  of  punishment,  is  to  send 
the  child  ofT  in  a  room,  to  be  alone  and  think  over  its 
conduct.  Children  ought  to  love  their  homes,  and 
feel  there  is  no  place  like  home,  and  some  times  par- 
ents are  greatly  grieved  because  their  children  seek 
pleasure  and  enjoyment  every  where  else  but  at  home- 
Our  young  men  are  off  by  the  time  they  get  their  sup- 
pers— there  is  always  some  excuse  for  going  out,  when 
the  real  reason  is,  they  aresc^eking  amusement.  Things 
around  home  are  too  dull.  Very  often  the  Saturday 
night  frolic,  which  has  been  the  scene  of  many  fights,, 
and  even  murders,  has  enticed  our  boy,  and  before  we 
know  it,  he  is  walking  the  downward  road.  Some 
mothers  and  fathers  cannot  understand  why,  in  spite  of 
all  their  good  advice  to  the  young  folks  about  bad 
company  and  about  the  safety  of  home,  that  they  do 
not  take  heed  and  settle  down  contentedly  We  must 
do  more  than  advise— we  must  do  all  in  our  power  to- 
make  our  homes  so  attractive  that  they  will  be  like 
loadstone  ;  so  powerful  that  they  can't  get  away  from, 
the  m.agnet  Study  to  out  do  the  devil.  Think  of  sim- 
ple pleasures  that  cost  nothing,  but  will  be  enjoyed  by 
the  family.  Singing  is  a  gift  that  our  young  people- 
have,  and  it  is  always  appreciated,  but  if  families  had 
more  singing  they  would  find  it  a  power  in  bringing: 
peace  and  love  at  home.  Another  simple  pleasure  is 
to  give,  occasionally,  inexpensive  suppers  or  teas,  and 
invite  a  few  of  the  young  friends. 

Last,  but  not  least.  1  would  call  attention  to  the- 
religious  training  of  our  children.  The  place  to  begin 
is  at  the  mother's,  knee.  She  ought  to  give  them  their 
first  ideas  of  God  as  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  loves, 
and  watches  over  us  at  all  times.  Some  little  ones 
have  such  strange  notions  about  God,  that  I  am  led  to 
believe  thai  parents  have  not  given  the  right  kind  of 
religious  jiistruction.  Our  ministers  neglect  the  lambs- 
and  cramb  the  sheep,  and  and  so  the  young  in  the  flock, 
starve.  F^^thers  and  mothers  go  to  church  on  Sunday 
and  sing  God's  praise  and  get  happy,  but  their  chil- 
dren are  many  times  at  home  or  at  the  neighbors,  doing 
everything  but  keeping  the  sabbath  day  holy,  We  are 
told  to  train  up  the  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and 
christian  parents  must  lead  their  children  tenderly  and 
lovingly  in  all  right  living.  We  must  teach  by  precept 
and  example,  and  watch  and  pray  for  their  good^ 
and  God  will  bless  our  efforts. 


Wtet  to  Wear  mi  flow 
to  Dross. 

 BY  

MRS-  B-  T.WASHINGTON. 

TUSKEGEE,  ALA. 

Few  subjects  are  of  more  practical  importance  to 
women  than  the  subject  of  What  to  Wear,  and  How  to 
Dress 

Many  women  who  are  some  what  advanced  in'  age 
and  even  others  not  so  far  advanced  have  the  mistaken 
idea  that  they  can  dress  as  carelessly  as  they  please  and 
that  their  age  will  excuse  them.  Again,  a  woman  too 
often  thinks,  that  now  I  am  married  and  a  mother  and  so 
no  one  cares  how  I  dress.  Let  us  remember  that  our 
husbands,  our  children,  and  even  our  friends  are  just  as 
glad  to  see  us  neatly  and  becomingly  dressed  as  if  we 
were  many  years  younger. 

As  the  mother  is  so  are  the  children  and  often  the 
husband.  As  a  woman  grows  older  and  becomes  a 
mother  she  will  be  obliged  to  divide  her  wardrobe  with 
her  daughters,  but  she  should  be  careful  to  see  that  she 
does  not  give  up  all,  so  that  a  person  meeting  her  and 
her  daughter  would  mistake  the  mother  for  the  servant  of 
the  daughter. 

Every  woman  in  selecting  a  dress,  a  hat,  a  pair  of 
shoes  or  any  other  article  of  clothing  should  be  guided  by 
two  or  three  simple  things;  first,  her  make-up,  color,  size, 
whether  she  is  a  short  person  or  a  tall  one,  etc.  No  wo- 
man should  rush  headlong  into^  a  store  to  purchase  an 
article  of  clothing  simply  because  it  is  pretty  and  a  near 
neighbor  has  something  like  it;  what  is  true  of  purchas- 
ing an  article  of  clothing  is  also  true  of  the  making  of  it. 
Do  not  make  a  dress  or  purchase  a  hat  according  to  the 


i8 

fashion  of  one  worn  by  a  friend  simply  because  it  looks 
well  on  that  friend.  It  may  not  look  so  well  on  you^ 
The  same  care  should  be  exercised  in  buying  a  calico 
dress  as  in  the  purchase  of  a  more  costly  one.  A  calico 
dress  is  the  average  dress  and  tvery  woman  should  make 
a  strong  effort  to  have  each  year  one  neatly  made  calico 
dress.  If  she  is  a  tall  woman  a  little  trimming  in  the 
form  of  a  ruffle  should  be  added  to  the  skirt  near  the 
bottom:  If,  on  the  other  hand,  a  short  one,  the  skirt 
?ihould  be  almost  entirely  plain.  A  tall  and  stout  woman 
■should  not  wear  such  figures  as  plaids,  but  should  select 
stripes — these  all  come  in  calico  prints  in  these  days.  A 
woman  with  a  short  waist  should  not  wear  a  dress  which 
requires  a  belt.  If  women  would  only  consider  it  of 
Sufficient  importance  to  find  out  what  is  becoming  to  them 
they  would    make  a  more  pleasing  appearance. 

There  are  two  extremes  to  every  woman,  her  head 
and  her  feet.  Somewhere  it  has  been  said  that  if  a 
man's  hat  is  in  good  style  it  does  not  make  much  differ- 
ence about  the  rest  of  his  clothes  .  I  should  like  to 
make  this  same  remark  in  regard  to  woman,  adding  also 
that  if  her  feet  are  neatly  shod  it  will  not  matter  greatly 
about  the  rest  of  her  clothes.  Good  shoes  and  plain  hats 
are  cheap  and  certainly  a  woman  makes  a  better  appear- 
ance with  her  feet  neitly  dressed  in  a  good  shoe  and 
her  head  dressed  in  a  plain  becoming  hat  than  she  d^  es 
without  them.  These  things  are  within  reach  of  every 
woman,  if  she  will  only  regard  them  of  enough  importance 
to  secure  them  .  Every  woman  should  own  a  pair  of 
gloves.  As  far  back  as  we  can  remember  women,  are 
urged  to  wear  gloves  upon  their  hands — in  the  Bible 
it  is  spoken  of  in  more  places  than  one. 

No  woman  can  afford  to  go  without  a  pin  at  her 
throat.  Not  necessarily  an  expensive  one  but  something 
which  will  give  to  the  throat  a  close  and  neat  appearance. 

Many  women  think  that  the  arrangement  of  the  hair 
concerns  no  one  but  themselves.  It  concerns  all  wo- 
mankind and  it  is  the  duty  of  each  woman  to  so  arrange 
her  hair  that  no  one  can  deny  her  right  to  an  ownership 
in  the  civilization  of  the  19th  Century. 

It  has  for  a  long  time  been  the  custom  among  some 
women  to  wrap  their  h  lir  in  strings,  thus  hiding  that 
which  is  our  glory — namely  our  hair.  This  custom  was 
practiced  during  the  days  of  slavery,  when  there  was  not 
time  given  by  the  masters  for  combing  the  hair.  Thank 
God!  that  day  is  slowly  but  surely  passing  away,  a^-d 


19 


women  are  now  given  the  time  to  keep  themselves  de- 
cently dressed.  How  many  women  remember  how  care- 
ful was  the  master,  who  refused  to  give  them  time  to 
comb  their  hair,  to  have  his  horse  curried  each  day.  It 
improved  the  looks  of  his  horse,  it  improved  the  spirit  of 
his  horse ;  it  would  have  had  a  similar  effect  upon  his 
slave.  This  habit  of  wrapping  the  hair  must  be  abolished 
as  quickly  as  possible.  Let  us  fight  it  until  it  is  entirely 
wiped  out.  If  the  hair  is  too  short  to  braid  and  pin  at 
the  back  of  the  head,  or  to  arrange  in  a  knot  at  the  back 
of  the  head,  comb  it  back  from  the  forehead  and  let  it 
alone.  This  style  may  be  varied  by  parting  it  in  the  mid- 
dle or  a  little  ou  the  side  of  the  head. 

Women  pay  too  little  attention  to  the  harmony  of 
colors ;  not  only  as  as  pertains  to  the  materials  combined 
in  a  dress,  a  hat,  etc.,  but  also  as  pertains  to  the  har- 
mony of  their  own  color  with  that  of  their  clothing, 

A  fair  woman  with  red  complexion,  should  not  wear 
bright  red,  bright  yellow,  etc.,  no  more  than  should  a 
dark  woman  wear  light  blue,  pink  or  white..  Have  we 
not  been  women  thirty  years?  And  now  can  we  not  see 
that  we  must  lay  aside  some  of  these  customs  which  were 
thrust  upon  us  by  slavery,  and  which  cling  to  us  so 
closely  that  they  seem  almost  our  second  nature?  And 
do  we  not  think  it  necessary  to,  at  least,  consider  these 
things  and  try  to  find  a  rememedy  for  them  ? 

In  all  ages,  among  all  races  of  people,  women  have 
been,  and  are,  expected  to  take  the  lead  in  correct  ideas 
of  dressing.  Let  us,  then,  not  be  to  j  slow  t)  begin  to  da 
our  part. 


Yentilation. 


 BY  

Mrs.  B.  T.  Washington, 

TUSKEGEE,  ALA. 


Mothers  who  live  in  the  country  and  who  have 
open  fireplaces,  houses  wiih  lartje  cracks  in  the  floor 
or  open  places  between  the  logs  as  they  are  laid  on 
the  walls,  think  very  little  of  tne  ventilation  ot  their 
homes  or  rather  they  imagine,  that  they  receive  all 
the  air  necessary  through  these  openings  and  through 
the  chimney.  1  acknowledge  that  we  are  blest  in  hav- 
ing open  lire-places  and  that  we  get  a  certain  kind  of 
ventilation  from  these  cracks  in  tbe  top  and  side  ot  our 
houses,  but  have  we  ever  stopped  to  ttiink  that  this  is 
not  ventilation  in  the  sense  tnat  we  understand  this 
wora*  7  his  is  more  of  a  draught  and  is  very  injurious 
to  health.  Ventilation  in  the  best  sense  is  letiing  in 
outside  air  wtiich  in  turn  drives  out  inside  air  thus  pu- 
rif  yinjj;  the  room. 

A  GOOD  RULE  FOR  VENTILATION. 

Open  both  the  windows  and  doors.  The  door  of 
course  being  so  situated  that  the  air  coming  in  will  be 
from  the  outside.  Always  remember  that  there  must 
be  two  currents  of  air  in  the  process  of  ventilation. 
We  may  not  open  the  door  at  night  but  we  can  secure 
these  two  currents  of  air  just  the  same.  Many  rooms 
have  windows  made  of  planks  and  a  hole  bored  in  the 
top  and  one  in  the  bottom  of  such  windows  will  us- 
ually answer  the  purpose  of  ventilation.  Then  there 
is  the  window  made  of  boards  which  slips  up  and 
down,  and  here  again  ventilation  may  be  had  by  leav- 
ing a  small  place  at  the  top  and  another  at  the  bottom. 


21 

Many  mothers  do  not  think  i't  important  to  air  ilieir 
beds,  they  get  up  and  even  before  they  dress  make  up 
their  beds.  It  only  takes  a  moment  to  understand  how 
injurious  and  how  dirty  this  habit  is.  During  the  night 
we  have  given  off  bad  odors  from  the  body,  foul  breath 
has  been  breathed  into  the  bed  clothing  and  if  we  do  not 
give  the  bedding  a  proper  airing  we  go  back  to  bed  the 
next  night  and  inhale  into  our  systems  this  filth.  Moth- 
ers must  secure  their  children  and  themselves  against 
these  harmful  practices.  Open  the  door  and  windows  each 
day,  the  earlier  the  better,  take  off  all  the  bedding,  lay 
it  on  the  backs  of  the  chairs  and  give  the  mattress  and 
bedding  sufficient  time  to  become  well  aired  by  following 
these  directions  you  will  sleep  better  and  rise  in  the 
morning  fresher  and  more  able  to  accomplish  the  work 
of  the  day. 

Once  a  week,  at  least,  the  curtained- wardrobe,  sale, 
washstand.  etc.,  should  be  thrown  open  and  pure  air  al- 
lowed to  pass  freely  through  them,  thus  taking  from  the 
wearing  clothes,  tiie  furniture,  etc.,  odors  which  go  into 
them  from  the  food  while  it  was  cooking  in  open  vessels. 
If  we  are  obliged  to  prepare  our  meals  in  the  same  room 
in  which  we  sleep  and  live  we  can.  at  least,  get  covers  of 
either  tin  or  wood  or  some  other  cheap  material,  so  as  to 
protect  ourselves,  clothing,  and  furniture  from  the  odors 
which  come  from  the  food  while  it  is  being  cooked. 

Mothers,  if  you  regard  the  matter  of  health  of  your 
children  and  your  own  health,  if  you  regard  the  import- 
ance of  cleanliness,  sweetness,  and  purity,  see  to  it  that 
your  homes  receive  attention  in  this  matter  of  ventilation. 

These  "Practical  Hints"  are  dedicated  to  the  c0Lintr\- 
women  on  Alabama  farms. 


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